Around 20 new affordable homes have been launched on the former site of the Coldeast Hospital in Salisbury Green, Fareham.

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) received the land as one of 97 redundant hospital sites and has plans to develop further affordable houses there with the hope of bringing a new community to Fareham.

David Edwards, regional director of the HCA in the south-east, said the agency has been working closely with developer Miller Homes and housing society Swathling to meet the need for affordable properties in the area.

"All homes built on our sites meet high quality and design standards to ensure the impact on the environment is lessened," he added.

The project will form part of a development of 150 new homes in the area, of which one-quarter will be affordable homes to buy or rent.

It follows news from the HCA that the former student flats at Bedgbury Place in Milton Keynes have been demolished to make way for future housing development.

The Mayor of London has approved plans to build 4,000 new houses on Kidbrooke's Ferrier estate, 38 per cent of which will be affordable homes.

Boris Johnson's decision to radically redevelop one of the largest and most deprived housing estates in the capital will also bring a new commercial and retail hub, as well as a variety of community facilities.

The local primary school will be replaced and plans for a new open recreational space for residents and visitors are also in the works.

Speaking about the proposed redevelopment, Mr Johnson said the plans reflect his commitments to support London's economy and transform the quality of life for thousands of local people.

He commented: "For far too long the residents of this estate have suffered as a result of poor, ill thought out design and planning.

"Now we have the chance to put that right."

The mayor recently pledged to halve severe overcrowding in London's social housing sector by 2016

Source: Direct News 6/6/09

Young families looking for a larger home in Suffolk are being given a helping hand by developer Crest Nicholson.

According to a recent survey conducted by UpMyStreet.com, almost half (44 per cent) of people moving house in 2009 are planning to upgrade to a larger home.

This Saturday (June 6th), potential buyers are being invited to find out how they can do just that without breaking the bank with a HomeBuy Direct event at Crest Nicholson's Maple Tye development in Stowmarket.

Annette Cole, sales and marketing director at Crest Nicholson, said it is not only first-time buyers who can benefit from the shared equity scheme.

"The scheme offers a fantastic opportunity for young families to upsize in the current market and get a larger home for only 70 per cent of the price on day one," she explained.

HomeBuy Direct was launched in 2008, designed to help up to 18,000 households enjoy affordable home ownership.

Source: Direct News 4/6/09

Affordable housing is available for first-time buyers who are able to secure a large deposit, according to one trade body.

The Building Societies Association (BSA) says with mortgage rates and property values at a historically low level, the time is right for buyers who can afford it to take their first step on the property ladder.

"For those first-time buyers in the fortunate position where they have got parents who can help them out with deposits - it's a great time for them," added Paul Broadhead, head of mortgage policy at the BSA.

Figures released this month by Halifax show that one in five (21 per cent) of Britain's local authorities were classed as affordable in the first quarter of 2009, compared to just six per cent in the third quarter of 2007.

However, buyers are being urged to make their move soon, as data from Nationwide this month showed that house prices rose by 1.2 per cent in May.

Source: Direct News 1/6/09

More affordable homes will be coming to Somerset after work began on a £10 million project in Highbridge.

Raglan Housing Association, in partnership with Sedgemoor District Council and the Homes and Communities Agency, has started construction on 73 new rented affordable homes in the town.

It is hoped that househunters will be able to move into the high-quality homes as early as 2010.

Sedgemoor District Council's affordable housing development manager Duncan Harvey said the project is an important component of the regeneration of Highbridge.

He added that it "will not only improve the physical appearance of the town, but will offer a significant number of people access to a genuinely affordable and decent home".

The council also offers a shared ownership scheme designed to provide an alternative to full ownership, under which the purchaser can buy a long lease for 50 per cent of its market value

Source: Direct News 28/5/09

Families searching for affordable homes in Cheshire are being invited to an event in Helsby where they can find out more about a scheme which could help them buy their dream home.

Persimmon Homes is hosting an event at the Meres Edge development on June 6th and 7th to give househunters the chance to learn more about its Part Exchange deal.

Under the scheme, Persimmon effectively guarantees a buyer for an existing home, arranging for an estate agent and chartered surveyor to carry out a valuation before making an offer.

The householder can then sell their property to Persimmon, leaving them free to move into one of the developer's homes.

"We are offering Part Exchange on the last few remaining properties, meaning anyone looking for new place to call home shouldn’t let the fact they have to sell their existing one put them off," said Claire Jarvis, sales manager for Persimmon Homes North West.

Source: Direct News 27/5/09

The number of new housing developments on which work began in the first quarter of 2009 is a good sign for the market, according to one trade association.

Work began on an estimated 18,340 new houses in the first three months of the year, statistics from Communities and Local Government have revealed.

Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), said that while the figures are encouraging, there is still a lot of work to do in order to get Britain's housing market in shape.

"We would like to think of planning systems being a little more relaxed in terms of allowing housing developments to take place," he commented.

The FMB is urging the government to put more money into social housing in an attempt to "build our way out of recession".

Annual housing completions in England totalled 133,710 in the year from 2008 to 2009.

Source: Direct News 26/5/09

Affordable homes are selling fast in one West Midlands town, according to one developer there.

Persimmon Homes reports that houses available under the government-backed HomeBuy Direct scheme in Darlaston have attracted a great deal of interest from potential purchasers.

HomeBuy Direct aims to make housing affordable for households on an income of less than £60,000 by part-funding their purchase with a 30 per cent equity loan, which is interest-free for five years.

Louise Brookes, sales adviser at Persimmon Homes, says The Keep development in Darlaston is so popular because it offers househunters easy access to local urban areas.

"Wolverhampton can be reached in around 15 minutes, Birmingham in less than an hour, there's quick and easy access to the Black Country Route and the regions' road and motorway network," she commented.

Househunters are being urged to move quickly to snap up the UK's affordable housing, as figures show that bargains are going fast.

Buyers were able to purchase a property at an average of 6.2 per cent below the asking price last month, according to statistics from the National Association of Estate Agents.

However, this is a reduction on the previous month's figures, in which buyers secured an average discount of 6.8 per cent.

Mike Bickerton, director at DTZ Residential, said there is a "marked shortage" of property for sale compared to the amount of people looking for a new house.

The result of this, he says, is that buyers who are ready to move in are finding they may not be able to secure the kind of discounts that were available a few months ago.

"In the coming months, we would see this trend continuing, with a decreasing discount available to buyers as the market recovers," he added.

Source: Direct News 23/5/09

More affordable houses are set to be built in Wales after one developer begins construction next month.

Lovell will start work on the £5 million development of 37 energy-efficient homes for the Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association, which will be designed to meet level three of the government's Code for Affordable Homes.

The homes will be fitted with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems which bring fresh air in from outside while recycling hot air from the bathroom and kitchens.

Construction is due to start in June and it is hoped the development will be completed by summer 2010.

Karen Dusgate, chief executive of Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association, says the project will help to build affordable homes for local people.

"We are committed to the regeneration of communities and are very much looking forward to this exciting development," she added.